• Friday Five

    The Friday Five: January 27, 2012

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

    The Five:

    “A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend (from Vampire Weekend, 2007)

    Opps! Somebody forgot to hit shuffle before hitting play! I imagine that this is the first song in many folks library —sorted by track, that is. So let’s add that to the sharing today: if you sort your library by song name, what is the first track?

    “Right on Time” by The Brothers Johnson (from Right on Time, 1977)

    Hot damn, if I don’t love me some Brothers Johnson. Funkier than Dave LIfton’s gym socks, the one-two combo of Louis’ monster bass lines, and George’s fluid guitar work absolutely kills.

    “Running With the Night” by Lionel Richie (from The Definitive Collection, 2003)

    I can’t listen to this without the video:

    “Cold as Ice” by Foreigner (from The Very Best…and Beyond, 1992)

    Matt Wardlaw has ruined Foreigner for me.

    “Out 4000” by Rappin’ 4-Tay (from Don’t Fight the Feelin’, 1994)

    I rarely rate tunes with one star. This is a one-star tune.

    What’s on your shuffle today?

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: January 20, 2012

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

    The Five:

    “Stay” by Erykah Badu (from Live, 1997)

    “I’ma test this out…” admits Badu at the beginning of this track, copping to the fact that she intended to cover the Rufus classic at the Soul Train awards show, but “got scared.” She then proceeds to absolutely kick the type of performance that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

    “Pope” by Prince (from The Hits/The B-Sides, 1993)

    “You don’t understand … I ain’t scared of you mutha fuckers!”

    “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen (from Greatest Hits, 1995)

    I suppose I’m beholden to discuss The Boss’ new tune in this space, but I have only listened to it once or twice. The jury is still out, as far as I’m concerned. It’s not a bad song, it just seems a little heavy handed. While not as big a Springsteen fan as most of you that read the Five, I still felt the absence of Clarence at the close where his solo clearly should have been.

    “Home Sweet Home” by Mötley Crüe (from Theatre of Pain, 1985)

    Vince Neil recently played a show locally. I don’t know why that matters, I just found it odd to think he’s still out there trying to sustain some form of a career without the Crüe. I suppose that will all stop once their Vegas residency starts.

    “Stuck With You” by Huey Lewis & The News (from Time Flies… The Best of Huey Lewis & The News, 1996)

    “Stuck With You” is only behind “If This Is It” in my list of favorite Huey Lewis tunes.

    What’s on your shuffle today?

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: January 13, 2012

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

    The Five:

    Nothin’ Comes Close” by Journey (from Arrival, 2001)

    “Nothin’ Comes Close” is a perfectly serviceable bit of AOR that just seemed completely out of place in 2001. I always liked Augeri’s voice, though. He sounded like Perry enough when he had to, but had enough of his own identity that he didn’t seem like a puppet on the end of Schon’s hand.

    Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night” by Bon Jovi (from Cross Road, 1994)

    Oh, it’s going to be like that, huh? I can’t say I care much for this tune. I recall thinking it was pandering when it was initially released.

    God” by The Smashing Pumpkins (from The Aeroplane Flies High (disc 3: Zero), 1996)

    I’m beginning to question what I ever saw in The Smashing Pumpkins.

    Remember” by Bryan Adams (from Anthology, 2005)

    I’m not going to lie: I kind of dig this song. This is Adams before he started growling his way through every damn song. He definitely has a knack for writing a hook that sinks right in.

    Outshined” by Soundgarden (from A-Sides, 1997)

    One of the handful of Soundgarden tracks I actually like. You know what my favorite part is? The pre-chorus with Matt Cameron’s background vocal!

    What’s on your shuffle today?

  • Friday Five

    The Friday Five: January 6, 2012

    Friday Five

    Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

    The Five:

    Dreams” by Van Halen (from 5150, 1986)

    This tune brings to mind two thoughts. First, how fucking thrilled is everyone to hear the new Van Halen tune? By the time you are all reading this, I’m certain that the internet will be flush with eye-witness reports from Thursday night’s gig at Cafe Wha?, which will only serve to fan the excitement. Second, how excited I was to listen to the new Chickenfoot record after reading the feature about it in this month’s Guitar Player. Satch and Michael Anthony talk a good game, but that record still bored me to (AOR)tears.

    Sara Smile” by The Bird and the Bee (from Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates, 2010)

    Oh, Inara George, how I love your unaffected gaze. How I long to curl up in your voice and sleep for awhile. Singing the songs that I grew up loving, with only the slightest trace of irony; just let me … oh, sorry everyone. I digress.

    With or Without You” by U2 (from The Joshua Tree, 1987)

    This takes me squarely back to my early, angst ridden, teenaged years. Was there ever a song more wrought with the type of heartbroken melisma that Bono delivers at the close of the song; ripe for use as the theme song for the adolescent heart?

    Wasted Years” by Iron Maiden (from Somewhere Back in Time – The Best of: 1980 – 1989, 2008)

    I’d submit that this was the exact moment that Maiden lost millions of hardcore metalhead fans, and gained that many, and many more, hard rock fans. Listen to that chorus! That is straight out of the AOR handbook. Someone must have slipped Steve Harris a copy before he sat down to write ’86s Somewhere in Time.

    Top of the World” by Van Halen (from The Best of Both Worlds, 2004)

    Bookend Van Halen tunes? I’d venture that my trusty iPod is trying to send a message. Okay, show of hands: how many of you know where the riff that kicks “Top of the World” quotes? Okay, now those of you that didn’t Google it just now, keep your hands up. Do you have your hands down? Good, use them to start up Van Halen’s “Jump.” Listen to the majesty of those keyboards! Revel in the jubilant chorus! When you get to the end, pay specific attention to the guitar and you’ll find your answer.

    Oh, the rest of you can put your hands down now.

    What’s on your shuffle today?